Your brain will work tirelessly to achieve the statements you give your
subconscious mind. When those statements are your goals, you are certain to
achieve them! Giving yourself goals can be tricky however, and your subconscious
mind needs things put a certain way.

You need to be specific with yourself. The more specific you are with your goal
the more your brain has to go on to make just those things happen. Remember
vague goals produce vague results. Don't be afraid to be detailed with what you
want! Write it all down as if you were putting in an order. Your subconscious
will make it happen for you by steering you toward those opportunities.

Your goals might seem a bit overwhelming at first glance. But look again! Do you
see how your goals can be broken down into a series of steps? When looking up a
recipe you do not simply find in large letters "Perfect Lasagna Every Time." No!
That of course is the end result, just like your goal. The recipe is there to
help you achieve that goal. Create your own recipe for your goal. Break it down.
What needs to be down first and next and after that? Keep writing the steps
until you reach the goal.

Here's a fun fact to help you attain your goals: Your brain does not know the
difference between actually doing something and just visualizing something being
done. Your brain processes the two the same way! Have you ever imagined yourself
making a total flop out of yourself moments before you really do? That is
because your brain really experienced it when you visualized it. And as stated
earlier, your brain will work to make happen whatever is being inputted. So what
do you daydream about? Do you visualize yourself being successful? Do you
visualize other people judging you? What you think about, you bring about!

Make it a habit to spend time visualizing your goals in detail as if you are
living them right now. Do it every day, several times a day! Your brain will
being functioning as if your goals are already attained. You will start being
the person you want to be simply because that is what is being processed in your
brain. Your brain will make you notice all the resources available to you that
you never noticed before. You will attract all the things you need to accomplish
your goal.

Don't visualize what it will be like, visualize what it is like! Live it right
now in your mind, everything in the present tense. What does it look like right
now? What does it sound like and smell like? How does it feel? Create these
detailed images and show your brain what it all looks like already complete.
Your brain brings to your awareness only the things that match your beliefs
about yourself, others, and the world. Everything else it filters out. When you
visualize your completed goals in detail, your brain filters out everything that
doesn't pertain to those goals!

Write down your goals, break them down into achievable bits and every night
visualize them completed. Then every morning visualize them completed. Take the
time that is necessary to go through each goal in detail. Trust this process;
the power of your brain has been greatly undervalued in the achievement of your
goals!

As a cure for worrying, work is better than whiskey.
- Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931)



Age can come with wisdom, or it can come alone.
- Anon



Nothing should be prized more highly than the value of each day.
- Johann Wolfgang van Goethe (1749-1832)



A smile is the lighting system of the face, the cooling system of the head and
the heating system of the heart.
- Anon



A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on
friendship.
- John D. Rockefeller



Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone
who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.
- Oprah Winfrey

A teacher and his student were walking from one village to another, when they
suddenly heard a roar behind them. Turning their gaze in the direction of the
roar they saw a big tiger following them. The first thing the student wanted to
do was to run away, but as he had been studying and practicing self-discipline,
he was able to halt himself, waiting to see what his teacher was going to do.

"What shall we do Master?" Asked the student.

The teacher looked at the student and answered in a calm voice:
"There are several options. We can fill our minds with paralyzing fear so that
we cannot move, and let the tiger do with us whatever pleases it. We can faint.
We can run away, but then it will run after us. We can fight with it, but
physically it is stronger than us."

"We can pray to god to save us. We can choose to influence the tiger with the
power of our mind, if our concentration is strong enough. We can send it love.
We can also concentrate and meditate on our inner power, and on the fact that we
are one with the entire universe, including the tiger, and in this way influence
its soul."

"Which option do you choose?"

"You are the Master. You tell me what to do. We haven't much time", responded
the student.

The master turned his gaze fearlessly towards the tiger, emptied his mind from
all thoughts, and entered samadhi (a kind of trance). In his consciousness he
embraced everything in the universe including the tiger. In this deep meditation
the consciousness of the teacher became one with consciousness of the tiger.

Meanwhile the student started to shiver with fear, as the tiger was already
quite close, ready to make a leap at them. He was amazed at how his teacher
could stay so calm and detached in the face of danger.

Meanwhile the teacher continued to meditate without fear. After a little while,
the tiger gradually lowered its head and tail and went away.

The student asked his teacher in astonishment, "What did you do?"

"Nothing. I just cleared all thoughts from my mind and united myself in spirit
with the tiger. We became united in peace on the spiritual level. The tiger
sensed the inner calmness, peace, and unity and felt no threat or need to
express violence, and so walked away."

"When the mind is silent and calm, its peace is automatically transmitted to
everything and everyone around, influencing them deeply", concluded the teacher.


Spiritual Story by Remez Sasson
From: http://www.Spiritual-Short-Stories.com

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, even if I have
said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.
- Buddha


It is more important to know where you are going
than to get there quickly.
- Mabel Newcomber


The things that hurt us the most can become the fuel and the
catalyst that propel us toward our destiny.  It will either
make you bitter or it will make you better.
- T.D. Jakes


Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.
- Diogenes Laetius


Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get
more time.
— Jim Rohn

"If you are woken up at night by a noise – the telephone ringing, something
falling, a window banging that you left open, someone knocking at the door – you
don't just rush in the dark to deal with the situation. The first thing you do
instinctively is to switch on the light so you can see. Well, you must behave
just as cautiously in any other circumstance in life.

Yes, whatever the situation, you must first switch on the light. And this means
not rushing to do something, but going within and asking for heaven's help to
find the best solution. Without the light, you will go this way and that, you
will knock at all kinds of doors, you will try all kinds of means, but all in
vain. Never forget that the most important thing is knowing how to switch on
your inner light, thanks to which you will avoid much damage and wasted time."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
www.prosveta.com

"There are a lot of ways to become a failure, but never taking a chance is the
most successful."
- Anonymous


"Natural ability without education has more often raised a man to glory and
virtue than education without natural ability."
- Cicero (106-43 B.C.)



Children should be taught the art of getting enjoyment out of the common things
in life.
- Orison Swett Marden



The man with a toothache thinks everyone happy whose teeth are sound.  The
poverty-stricken man makes the same mistake about the rich man.
- George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)



You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do
nothing for him.
— James D. Miles

This month I invite you to focus on unleashing your inner entrepreneur so you
innovate, execute and deliver results at a level called wow.

First, here are 5 Brain Tattoos to play with:

1) To have the results that ultra-successful performers have, you need to be
willing to do the things that only ultra-successful people are willing to do.

2) The discomfort of change is always better than the heartbreak of complacency.

3) What the victim calls Genius, the true entrepreneur knows as practice.

4) Education is inoculation against disruption.

5) There's zero point in masterfully doing the wrong things.

From Robin Sharma's newsletter
www.robinsharma.com

The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd.  The
man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been.
- Alan Ashley-Pitt


When you don't want to do something, any excuse will do.
- Tom Persons


The only people to get even with are those that have helped you.
- Anon


Nothing should be prized more highly than the value of each day.
- Johann Wolfgang van Goethe

Spiritual Story by Guy Finley

A young man decided to visit a country known for its uniquely gifted artists.
Over the last few years a growing sense of feeling incomplete had stalked him,
and the hope behind his journey was to find someone, something, to help him
release the great, but still latent forces he knew lived in his heart.

After settling in at a small hostel, he went walking through an expansive
outdoor bazaar where hundreds of artisans displayed their works. However,
everything seemed commonplace; just another dead-end. What now?

He kept walking, leaving the noisy bazaar far behind him. And that's when his
ear caught a light tapping sound from the other side of an old wooden fence.
Coming upon an open gate, he peered inside.

A young woman was seated in an open courtyard surrounded by various stone
sculptures of wild animals. Although these creations were in various stages of
completion, they already exuded a remarkable presence.

Just then the young lady stood up, and pulling a little hammer out of her apron
pocket, she walked toward a large stone that was perched on a work pedestal.

After careful examination of one small area she rapped it just once with her
small hammer. She used so little force, he felt sorry for her timidity. Surely,
he thought, she must be a novice; but his eyes couldn't believe what happened
next.

Suddenly dozens of small pieces of stone broke away. At first he thought she
made a mistake and had cracked the whole stone; a moment later he knew
otherwise. She had not ruined the stone; instead, she had released it secret
character.

With that one blow she had not only uncovered a beautiful white marble-like
material, but had shaped it to resemble the graceful neck of a great swan. He
was stunned. What magic was this? He longed to know.

"Please forgive me,"he said, entering the courtyard, "but how in the world did
you do that with a single blow from your tiny hammer?"

"Oh,"she laughed. "I'm guessing you've only been there for the last few minutes.
Before you began watching me I had delivered hundreds of similar small blows to
the exact same spot on that stone. You saw the result of many days of careful
work coupled with a special kind of quiet consideration.

"That's how all great things are achieved -consistent attention coupled with
persistent effort - a little bit at a time - until the right time comes when
that work is rewarded. Then nothing can stand in the way of what must be
released. The practice of this knowledge, in whatever one intends to do, must
produce a subsequent revelation that is the heart of liberation itself.

As they shared a smile and said goodbye, the young man knew he had learned an
important secret: With consistent attention and persistent effort you can
release whatever now stands between you and the freedom for which your heart
seeks.

(Excerpted from Letting Go... A Little Bit At A Time, Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.,
2008)

http://www.Spiritual-Short-Stories.com

Let's face it. No matter how positive we intend to be and how focused we are on
attracting positive people into our lives, there are times when we will come
into contact with negative people. You know the type: They love to talk about
all the things that are going wrong in their life. They live for the gossip
about the latest tragedy in Paris Hilton's life or their neighbor's. They bask
in being the first to point out why a project won't work.

These people may be tangential to your life or they may be firmly embedded in
the fabric of your life (can you say "family members?"). But either way, when
they come into your presence, they provide a true "test" of your ability to
maintain a high, positive vibration.

So how do you deal with these people? How do you maintain a positive vibration
when you find yourself surrounded by people with less positive vibrations?

Here are ten tools, techniques and insights to help you maintain a positive
vibration. Try them out. Discover what works for you. Improvise, combine them,
add your own. As you work within the Law of Attraction you will begin to
discover your own tools and techniques for maintaining your highest most
positively attractive resonance in every situation.

So here they are.

10 Tips For Staying Positive Around Negative People

1. Leave.
If possible, remove yourself from the presence of the low/slow vibrations as
quickly as you can. This is the easiest and often the best way to deal with the
situation. If you find yourself immersed in a water-cooler conversation that
takes a negative turn, excuse yourself as soon as you realize what's happening.
Admittedly, this is not always possible (think family gatherings!) so we've got
9 more.

2. Try to keep the conversation positive.
If you recognize that the conversation is taking a turn for the worse, see if
you can turn it back around. Politicians and marketers call this staying on
message. Your "message" is positive. The topic doesn't matter so much as the
tone. So anything you can do to keep the conversation positive is staying on
message.

3. Think of something positive in your life.
If, in spite of your efforts to stay on message, the conversation becomes
negative, see if you can split your attention and allow a part of your mind to
focus on something positive. Think of it like the "picture in a picture" feature
on your TV. Insert a little positive thought or memory into the big picture.

4. Find something positive about the person to focus on.
Everyone has redeeming qualities. They may be difficult to notice in the heat of
the negative moment. But they are there. See if you can find one. Maybe you like
her scarf. Maybe he just got a new hair cut that looks good. Maybe she smells
good. Maybe he helped you move last weekend. When you notice and focus on
something positive it neutralizes the power of the negative energy.

5. Close your eyes.
This obviously may not be possible when you are engaged in a one-on-one
conversation. In this case, deliberately slow down the blinking of your eyes.
Closed eyes, even if closed for just a second, immediately begin to bring your
brainwaves down towards the alpha state. Try it right now. Take a few slow
eye-blinks and watch what happens to you physical and mental state. You are much
less susceptible to negative energy when you are in that relaxing, contemplative
alpha space.

6. Focus on your breath.
Again, see if you can split your attention and focus part of your awareness on
your breath. Become aware of the air moving in and out of your body. Feel your
chest and belly expanding against your shirt. Notice the rhythm of your breath
and see if you can consciously slow your breath down.

7. Unplug your energy from the other person.
Imagine that you are literally pulling your plug out of the other person. These
negative people thrive on their ability to bring others down to their
vibrational level. Use visualization, feeling, or intention to pull your plug
and maintain your own vibrational level.

8. Remember the prayer of St. Francis.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow
love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is
despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
Recognize that the person's negativity is an expression of their inner doubt,
despair and sadness. The way that you "sow" love and hope and peace and joy is
by remaining positive and allowing yourself to become an instrument of peace in
that moment.

9. Stop judging.
If you find yourself being judgmental, stop. We all have moments of negativity.
And, in fact, this person's presence in your life could be a signal that there
is some negativity in your space that you are not acknowledging. So stop judging
the person and, instead, offer your gratitude for the opportunity to explore
your own tendency to drift into low/slow vibrations.

10. Don't be too hard on yourself if you get pulled down into the low
vibrations!

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, no matter how strong your intention is to
stay positive, you will find yourself pulled down into that negative vibration.
Be kind on yourself. As with number 9 above, judging yourself will only add to
the downward spiral. If you fall off the horse, the best response is to get
right back on and try it again!

Here's to staying positive!

About the Author:

Edward Mills awakens people to their greatness through his writing, audio
products, seminars and courses. You can read more at
http://www.evolvingtimes.com.

AVOID THE TEMPTATION to get rich quick.
Everybody wants everything instantly—instant rice, instant pudding, instant
success—served in pablum form. My father was from Germany, and he said, "Always
take time to be an apprentice and learn the whole job." I did this… and it
worked!

AVOID THE TEMPTATION to take shortcuts.
Taking shortcuts and cutting corners is a character flaw. You will be building
on sand, and it will surely collapse. It always has. It always will.

AVOID THE TEMPTATION to believe that "The grass is greener on the other side of
the fence."
We need to stay focused on where we are now, what we are doing now, our present
opportunity, our present job, our present activity. We need to be able to make
our present responsibilities work, whatever price we have to pay.

AVOID THE TEMPTATION to quit too soon.
History books, storybooks and movies are filled with illustrations and parables
of people who quit "three feet too soon digging for gold." Just one more try to
complete an invention; just one more call to make a sale.

COLLECTIVELY, WHAT DO ALL THESE TEMPTATIONS CAUSE?

They cause you to…
1. Lose sight of your goals,
2. Develop a lack of confidence, and
3. Suffer from an eroding self-esteem.

HOW DO YOU AVOID THIS?

1. Commit to a singleness of purpose.
2. Set and put into writing specific and clearly defined goals.
3. Outline exact action steps you must take to achieve your goals.
4. Repeat daily affirmations to support your goals.
5. Form a support group of your spouse, friends, associates and work partners.
6. Create an accountability factor.

I don't have enough paper to write or tell you the thousand sad stories I know
about from my lifetime of all the educated, gifted and talented people who fell
into the temptation to get rich quick, looked for something for nothing, ceased
to persist and do, believed false promises, and took a shortcut.

It is very sad to watch people chase false dreams—or their tails, the wind and
rainbows.

A solid life of personal, family and business success is built more like
climbing stairs than by mounting a rocket ship.

From Ron White's newsletter

One mother was jogging through the park, pushing two toddlers in a
stroller. As they approached a hill, she said, "OK, now I need you
to help me." And they did! As she started up the hill, they each
said, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. . ."

Sometimes it just takes the desire to help and you can find a way.

One person known for his desire to help was Fiorello LaGuardia.
LaGuardia was mayor of New York City during the worst days of the
Great Depression and all of WWII. He was adored by many New Yorkers
who took to calling him the "Little Flower," because of his name and
the fact that he was so short and always wore a carnation in his
lapel.

In many ways, LaGuardia was bigger than life - he rode the New York
City fire trucks, raided city "speakeasies" with the police
department, took entire orphanages to baseball games and, when the
New York newspapers went on strike, he got on the radio and read the
Sunday funnies to the kids.

One bitterly cold night in January of 1935, the mayor turned up at a
night court that served the poorest ward of the city. LaGuardia
dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself.
Within a few minutes, a tattered old woman was brought before him,
charged with stealing a loaf of bread. She told LaGuardia that her
daughter's husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick, and her
two grandchildren were starving.

But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, refused to drop
the charges. "It's a real bad neighborhood, Your Honor," the man
told the mayor. "She's got to be punished to teach other people
around here a lesson."

LaGuardia sighed. He turned to the woman and said, "I've got to
punish you. The law makes no exceptions. Ten dollars or ten days in
jail." But even as he pronounced sentence, the mayor was already
reaching into his pocket. He extracted a bill and tossed it into his
famous hat, saying, "Here is the ten dollar fine which I now remit;
and furthermore, I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty
cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that
her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Bailiff, collect the fines and give
them to the defendant."

The following day, New York City newspapers reported that $47.50 was
turned over to a bewildered woman who had stolen a loaf of bread to
feed her starving grandchildren. Fifty cents of that amount was
contributed by the grocery store owner himself, while some seventy
petty criminals, people with traffic violations, and New York City
policemen, each of whom had just paid fifty cents for the privilege
of doing so, gave the mayor a standing ovation.

Sometimes it just takes the desire to help and you can find a way.

Someone beautifully said, "Sympathy sees and says, 'I'm sorry.'
Compassion sees and says, 'I'll help.'" When we learn the
difference, we will make a difference.

-- Steve Goodier
  http://www.lifesupportsystem.com

Law of Capital: 

Your most valuable asset, in terms of cash flow, is your physical and mental capital, your earning ability.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at
the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. - Helen
Keller, 1880-1968

The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to
appear. - Socrates, 469-399 B.C.

The secret of many a man's success in the world resides in his insight into the
moods of men and his tact in dealing with them. - J.G. Holland, 1819-1881

"Make sure the outside of you is a good reflection of the inside of you." —Jim
Rohn

"Health and cheerfulness mutually beget each other." —Joseph Addison

"Good friends are good for your health." —Irwin Sarason

Spiritual Story by Idries Shah


The philosophers, logicians and doctors of law were drawn up at Court to examine
Mulla Nasrudin. This was a serious case, because he had admitted going from
village to village saying: "The so-called wise men are ignorant, irresolute, and
confused." He was charged with undermining the security of the State.

"You may speak first," said the King.

"Have paper and pens brought," said the Mulla. Paper and pens were brought.

"Give some to each of the first seven savants." The pens were distributed.

"Have them separately write an answer to this question: "What is bread?" This
was done. THe papers were handed to the King who read them out:

The first said: "Bread is a food."

The second: "It is flour and water."

The third: "A gift of God."

The fourth: "Baked dough."

The fifth: "Changeable, according to how you mean 'bread.'"

The sixth: "A nutritious substance."

The seventh: "Nobody really knows."

"When they decide what bread is," said Nasrudin, "it will be possible for them
to decide other things. For example, whether I am right or wrong. Can you
entrust matters of assessment and judgment to people like this? Is it not
strange that they cannot agree about something which they eat each day, yet are
unanimous that I am a heretic?"

From: http://www.spiritual-short-stories.com

By Robin Sharma, author of the #1 bestseller "The Leader Who Had No Title"


1. Do important work vs. merely offering opinions.

2. Lift people up vs. tear others down.

3. Use the words of leadership vs. the language of victimhood.

4. Don't worry about getting the credit for getting things done.

5. Become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

6. Take your health to a level called superfit.

7. Commit to mastery of your craft instead of accepting mediocrity in your work.

8. Associate with people whose lives you want to be living.

9. Study for an hour a day. Double your learning and you'll triple your success.

10. Run your own race. "No one can possibly achieve real and lasting success by
being a conformist," wrote billionaire J. Paul Getty

11. Do something small yet scary every single day.

12. Lead Without a Title.

13. Focus on people's strengths vs. obsessing around their weaknesses.

14. Remember that potential unused turns into pain. So dedicate yourself to
expressing your best.

15. Smile more.

16. Listen more.

17. Read the autobiography of Nelson Mandela.

18. Reflect on the words of Eleanor Roosevelt who said: "Great minds discuss
ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people."

19. Persist longer than the critics suggest you should.

20. Say "please" and "thank you".

21. Love your loved ones.

22. Do work that matters.

Joy is not in things; it is in us.
- Richard Wagner


They always say that time changes things,but you actually have to change them
yourself.
- Andy Warhol


It doesn't matter where you are coming from.
All that matters is where you are going.
— Brian Tracy


Resilience -- Seven times down. Eight times up.
- Japanese proverb


One of the marvelous things about life is that any gaps in your education can be
filled, whatever your age or situation, by reading and thinking about what you
read.
- Warren Bennis

My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the body? Through
the years I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct answer.

When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans, so I
said, "My ears, Mommy."

She said, "No. Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will
ask you again soon."

Several years passed before she asked me again. Since making my first attempt, I
had contemplated the correct answer.

So this time I told her, "Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it
must be our eyes."

She looked at me and told me, "You are learning fast, but the answer is not
correct because there are many people who are blind."

Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years, Mother
asked me a couple more times and always her answer was, "No. But you are getting
smarter every year, my child."

Then last year, my grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even
my father cried. I remember that especially because it was only the second time
I saw him cry. My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final
good-bye to Grandpa.

She asked me, "Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?"

I was shocked when she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game
between her and me.

She saw the confusion on my face and told me, "This question is very important.
It shows that you have really lived in your life. For every body part you gave
me in the past, I have told you were wrong and I have given you an example why.
But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson."

She looked down at me as only a mother can. I saw her eyes well up with tears.

She said, "My dear, the most important body part is your shoulder."

I asked, "Is it because it holds up my head?"

She replied, "No, it is because it can hold the head of a friend or a loved one
when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life. I only
hope that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder
to cry on when you need it."

Then and there I knew the most important body part is not a selfish one.

It is sympathetic to the pain of others.

Author unknown

From spiritual-short-stories.com

Reproduced from Forbes.com

By Holly Green, Contributor

To test your mental acuity, answer the following questions (no peeking at the
answers!):

1. Johnny's mother had three children. The first child was named April. The
second child was named May. What was the third child's name?

2. A clerk at a butcher shop stands five feet ten inches tall and wears size 13
sneakers. What does he weigh?

3. Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the
world?

4. How much dirt is there in a hole that measures two feet by three feet by four
feet?

5. What word in the English language is always spelled incorrectly?

6. Billie was born on December 28th, yet her birthday always falls in the
summer. How is this possible?

7. In British Columbia you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why
not?

8. If you were running a race and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place
would you be in now?

9. Which is correct to say, "The yolk of the egg is white" or "The yolk of the
egg are white?"

10. A farmer has five haystacks in one field and four haystacks in another. How
many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in one field?


=========

Answers


1. Johnny.
2. Meat.
3. Mt. Everest. It just wasn't discovered yet.
4. There is no dirt in a hole.
5. Incorrectly (except when it is spelled incorrecktly).
6. Billie lives in the southern hemisphere.
7. You can't take a picture with a wooden leg. You need a camera (or iPad or
cell phone) to take a picture.
8. You would be in 2nd place. You passed the person in second place, not first.
9. Neither. Egg yolks are yellow.
10. One. If he combines all his haystacks, they all become one big stack.

Okay, some of these are a bit corny. But they all illustrate several brain
idiosyncrasies that affect how we make decisions in the world.

Thanks to the way our brain works, we have a very strong tendency to see what we
want to see and what we expect to see. This has huge implications when studying
our customers, markets, competitors, and other data that influences key business
decisions.

When we only see what we want or expect to see, we miss competitive threats
because our brain tells us a threat couldn't possibly come from that direction.
We miss opportunities because we only see what has worked in the past rather
than what could be. And we miss major market shifts and changes in customer
needs that seem obvious in hindsight but are easily overlooked when focusing on
what we already know.

Our brain doesn't like information gaps, so we tend to jump at the first
answer/solution that looks good rather than take the time to examine all the
data. This is especially true in a world where we receive more information every
day than we have time to assimilate. Finally, our brains love to see patterns
and make connections. This trait serves us well in many ways as we move through
the world. But the brain doesn't always get it right.

For example, how did you answer question #1 (be honest)? For most people, the
first word that pops into their head is "June," because the brain quickly spots
the April/May/June pattern. Upon re-reading the question and analyzing the data,
the answer "Johnny" becomes obvious.

And what about the man with the wooden leg? Your answer depends on how you
interpret "with." Does it refer to the man with the wooden leg or to the camera?
A bit of a trick question, but it clearly illustrates how the language we use
shapes the way we look at the world.

Perhaps the best example of how we miss things is the egg yolk question.
Everybody knows egg yolks are yellow. But the question's phrasing puts our
attention on selecting the correct verb, so we overlook an obvious piece of data
and an even more obvious answer.

We can't change how the brain works – at least not yet. Give science another 50
years and who knows what our brains will be doing! For now, we can become more
aware of how our brain works, then pause from time to time to consider what
we're missing. This includes the data we're unconsciously screening out as well
as different sources of data to counterbalance what we expect to see.

Get in the habit of teasing your brain. You'll be amazed at what you end up
seeing that you didn't see before.

Retweet this blog to find out how clever your friends and business associates
are.

"The tragedy of a man's life is what dies inside of him while he lives."
- Henry David Thoreau


A half truth is a whole lie.
- Yiddish saying


It is one of the strange ironies of this strange life that
those who work the hardest, who subject themselves to the
strictest discipline, who give up certain pleasurable
things in order to achieve a goal, are the happiest people.
- Brutus Hamilton


The heart is comforted by true words,
just as a thirsty man is comforted by water.
- Rumi


A nation of sheep begets a government of wolves.
- Edward Roscoe Murrow (1908-1965)

Spiritual Story by Idries Shah



A philosopher, having made an appointment to dispute with Nasrudin, called and
found him away from home. Infuriated, he picked up a piece of chalk and wrote
"Stupid Oaf" on Nasrudin's gate.

As soon as he got home and saw this, the Mulla rushed to the philosopher's
house. "I had forgotten," he said, "that you were to call. And I apologize for
having not been at home. Of course, I remembered the appointment as soon as I
saw that you had left your name on my door."


From http://www.spiritual-short-stories.com

To laugh
Is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep
Is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out for another
Is to risk involvement.

To expose feelings
Is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd
Is to risk loss.

To love
Is to risk not being loved in return.

To live
Is to risk dying.

To hope
Is to risk in despair.

To try at all
Is to risk failure,

But risk we must
Because the greatest hazard in life Is to risk nothing.

—Author unknown

From Michael Angier's newsletter

All of us know the importance of concentration skills. Below are some tips to
help you develop better concentration whether you are working, studying or doing
anything at all!

1. Do one thing at a time, and set aside a specific time period
It helps concentration if you just do one thing at a time giving it your
complete undivided attention. Multitasking (doing many things simultaneously)
will make you distracted and it is an ineffective way of doing things, contrary
to what many people believe. Do one thing at a time in order to develop
concentration. If you are trying to construct a presentation to give at your
office or studying for your exam, for the next 30 minutes or so, just think of
that alone. Focus your mind on the details of the job and how you plan to do it.
Do not let your attention wander to other things during this time.

2. Do something as if for the first or last time
We take a lot of everyday things for granted and do not observe as intently as
we should. In order to develop focus and observation, try to look at tasks which
you do every day as if you are doing or seeing them for the first or the last
time. This will encourage you to observe details which you may have missed
before, thus improving your observation, concentration and also allow you to
gain new insights.

3. 5 more rule
From now on, if you're in the middle of a task and tempted to give up -- just do
FIVE MORE. Read FIVE MORE pages. Finish FIVE MORE math problems. Work FIVE MORE
minutes.
By implementing this strategy, you are stretching your mind past the point of
frustration and building up mental endurance just as good athletes push past the
point of exhaustion by not giving up when their body initially protests of
tiredness. This way they build up the stamina they need to excel.

4. Unclutter your mind by writing things down
While doing something important, if other worries are invading your mind and
affecting your concentration, then an effective way to overcome this problem is
to write down any concern you might be having on a piece of paper. Next to it
write down a date or time when you want to deal with this problem. Writing it
down this way will help in uncluttering your mind so that it is free to
concentrate on the task at hand without giving up on the problem that keeps
plaguing you.

5. Reward yourself
Decide before starting your work how you would like to reward yourself when you
finish. The reward can be anything that makes you happy and relaxed - like
having your favorite food, going out for a walk, meeting your best friend etc.
It doesn't have to be something big; any activity that gives you pleasure and
takes your mind off work for some time will do. This system of rewarding
yourself will increase motivation for doing things.

6. Be project specific
Before you start any work, be clear in your mind as to what you want to
accomplish. Before sitting down to study for exams, be clear what chapter you
want to study now, how much time do you intend to study for, etc. Be as specific
as possible and move on to some other task only after you complete this.

7. Use a concentration score sheet
Whenever doing important work, use a concentration score sheet. Each time you
find your mind wandering, make a check mark on the sheet. If you do this on
consistent basis, you will condition your mind to wander less and you may find
that you have far fewer check marks and far greater concentration.

8. Break task into smaller parts
Breaking a task into smaller parts will make it seem less daunting and help you
approach it with more positivity. If you are trying to study a textbook for
exam, then you can make a goal of finishing one chapter at a time.

9. Concentration exercises
Concentration exercises help in training your mind to concentrate more and for
longer periods of time. I have mentioned some concentration exercises in my blog
which you can read by clicking here.
Its recommended to practice exercises given in that article on a daily basis in
order to improve your concentration.

10. Do a thing wholeheartedly
If you approach something half-heartedly, it can show in the quality of the
work. In order to do things better, do them with interest. Whatever you are
doing, try to find some aspect of it that interests you. If you can find
something interesting in each thing you do, you can enjoy even the most mundane
and boring tasks.

These tips are very simple to follow, but can have a huge impact on your ability
to concentrate on the task at hand. The next time you find yourself struggling
with completing a project, try these tips and see how much more productive you
become!

=======================================================
Syed maintains a blog at http://www.simple-fix.blogspot.com

This blog is about simple tips to improve our lives. The tips cover different
areas like health, self-improvement, home-improvement, learning techniques,
relationship- management, computer tips, home-remedies, technology etc.

A man was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas
bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay
balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they
intrigued the man so he took the bag out of the cave with him.

As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out
into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it until he dropped
one of the balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious
stone.

Excited the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a
similar treasure.

He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had
left. Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown
maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean
waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home
tens of thousands, but he just threw it away.

It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see
the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't
always beautiful or sparkling so we discount it. We see that person as less
important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But
we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person by
God.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to
know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them,
then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a
fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay.

May we see the people in our world as God sees them.


Author unknown

From: http://www.inspirationpeak.com

There's an old story that when he was the wealthiest man in
the world, J. Paul Getty's brother sent him a letter that
began, "To the Wealthiest man in the world, from the Richest
man in the world." His brother was making the distinction
between having lots of cash and being truly rich.

This past couple of weeks, I've been with some of the most
wonderful and value-centered people in the world. I've
played golf, gone for long walks, enjoyed the sounds of the
silence and the sound of fish jumping in the lake. I've
walked and talked with Mary, and read great books. I've
slept late when I wanted to, and been up to witness the
sunrise. I've danced, eaten fresh-caught fish, and renewed
old friendships. How rich is that!?

And now for the nugget: Your life can be as RICH as you want
it to be, whenever you decide to "make it so."

There is no need to wait! The RICHNESS of your life is not
dependent on cash, or assets, or anything else. You don't
have to have money or own a business or get a raise, or move
to a new city. The richness of your life is strictly up to
you and depends on only a few simple, daily disciplines.

Here are a few suggestions:

1.  The Daily Discipline of having FUN! Every day, hug
someone you love, play, dance, take a nap or go for a run.
Do something you love and do it every day. Of course, you'll
want to schedule work and errands, but be sure that first of
all, you schedule time to actually LIVE your life out loud.
Have lottsa fun!

2.  The Daily Discipline of Planning. John Lennon said that
"life is what happens while you are making other plans."
Every day, just before bed or first thing in the morning,
choose your priorities. Review your goals and values, and
plan your activities accordingly. Of course, you'll want to
include the daily tasks of life, but make sure your VALUES
show up as well!

3.  The Daily Discipline of Learning. Our world is changing
and those who do not learn, are destined to fall behind.
Every day, read for 30 to 60 minutes. Every day listen to
audio programs in your car or while you exercise. Watch
educational TV programs. Attend concerts, classes and
workshops. If you aren't learning something new, you are
falling behind.

4.  The Daily Discipline of Thinking. Henry Thoreau wrote
that he went to the woods to "live deliberately," and that's
a GOOD thing! These past two weeks, I've had the chance to
choose my activities each day and to spend part of each day
just "sitting." I sit for ideas and inspiration. I sit to
watch a sunrise. I sit to absorb the gifts life gives
freely. Take time each day to envision your goals, to affirm
your values and set your direction.

5.  The Daily Discipline of Work. In the end, results
matter. Doing work that makes a difference, work that
produces results and makes life better is one of life's
great blessings. It's a chance to partner with God to make
the world a better place for ourselves and others. Never
fritter away your life on empty effort or trivial chores,
but do all the real Work you can!

Personally, I believe the time we spend on these Daily
Disciplines is not "subtracted" from our total, but is
actually "added" to our lives--it adds to the quality, the
richness and quite possibly, the length of our lives.

Take time to have Fun, to Plan, to Learn, to Think and to
Work every day. Do not spend your life being busy about
trivial things! Hopefully, we have many years ahead of us,
but we know that life is short and it ends too soon. Should
your time arrive unexpectedly, be sure your loved ones know
that you LIVED every day of your life!

From Philip Humbert's newsletter

Roles of Support
Doing Our Best Work
by Madisyn Taylor


Each one of us is very much needed and we all have our role to play adding to
the success of the whole.


In the great symphony of life, we all have important parts to play. While some
people are best suited to be conductors or soloists, their contributions would
be diminished considerably without the individual musicians that lend their
artistry to the fullness of an orchestra. The magical accents of the percussion
section might sound random and out of place without the music they accompany.
But any one member of an orchestra, doing less than their best at their
particular part, can destroy the harmony of the whole piece, such is their
importance. So although we may not receive the same amount or quality of
attention as another, all of our contributions are valuable and integral to the
success of the whole.

When we do our tasks well, we infuse them with our unique energy, making each
act a gift. Each of our personalities and talents are suited to different roles
of support. Even leaders and star performers support others in their own way. We
can look around us at any moment to see that while we nurture some people with
our work, others are supporting us with their gifts. Doing any job from this
place within us allows us to do our part with humility and gratitude, while also
learning lessons that move us steadily toward our goals.

When we can be fully present in every job that we do, we bring the fullness of
our bodies, minds and spirits to the moment. Our contribution is enhanced by the
infusion of our talents and abilities, and when we give them willingly, they
attract the right people and circumstances into our experience. Anything we do
begrudgingly limits the flow of our energy and closes us off from the good that
is available to us in every situation. But by giving the best in us to make the
world around us better, we open ourselves to receive the best from the universe
in return.

From dailyom.com

A childlike man is not a man whose development has been
arrested; on the contrary, he is a man who has given himself
a chance of continuing to develop long after most adults
have muffled themselves in the cocoon of middle aged habit
and convention.
- Aldous Huxley



Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change
places.
- Anon


He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses more;
He who loses faith, loses all.
- Anna Eleanor Roosevelt


The man who fights for his ideals is the man who is alive!
- Miguel de Cervantes


Never borrow for what you don't need.
Never think you need what you have to borrow for.
- Irish saying

Back in the third century AD China, King Ts'ao sent his son, prince T'ai to
study under the great master Pan Ku. Ehen the prince arrived at the temple, the
master sent him alone to the Ming-Li foest. After one year, the prince was to
return to the temple to describe the sound of the forest. Ehen T'ai returned,
Pan Ku asked him to describe all that he could hear. "I could hear the cuckoos
sing, the leaves rustle, the hummingbirds hum, the bees buzz, and the wind
whisper and holler," replied the prince. The master told him to go back to the
forest to listen to what more he could hear.

For days, the prince sat in the forest listening. Then he started to discern
faint sounds unlike those he had ever heard before. a feeling of enlightenment
enveloped the boy. When he returned, the master asked him what more he had
heard. "I could hear the sound of flowers opening, the sound of the sun warming
the earth, and the sound of the grass drinking the morning dew," he replied.

The master nodded approvingly. "To hear the unheard," he said, "is a necessary
discipline to be a good ruler. For only when a ruler has learned to listen
closely to the people's hearts,hearing their feelings uncommunicated, pains
unexpressed, and complaints not spoken of, can he meet the true needs of his
citizens."

From the column Happiness@Work by Prof Srikumar Rao in Corporate Dossier, The
Economic Times, March 12, 2012